CCNA v2.0 in 2027: What Changes and Should You Test Now or Wait?
This is the biggest change to the CCNA blueprint since the 200-301 exam launched in 2020. Here is what moves, what is new, and a simple way to decide which version you should sit.
If you started studying for the CCNA this year, you have probably seen the news: Cisco is releasing CCNA 200-301 v2.0, and the first day you can sit the new version is February 3, 2027. The exam code stays the same. The content does not.
The question we hear most from CCNA learners right now is simple: do I rush to pass the current exam, or do I wait for the new one? This guide walks through what changed and gives you a straightforward way to decide.
The key dates
- Today through February 2, 2027: you sit CCNA 200-301 v1.1, the version most books and video courses still cover.
- From February 3, 2027: every new CCNA attempt is v2.0.
- Price: Cisco lists the exam at $300 USD plus tax, paid when you book through Pearson VUE. That is the same for both versions.
- Format: expect a 120-minute exam with multiple choice, drag and drop and simulation-style items, delivered at a Pearson VUE test center or online with OnVUE.
There is no grace period where you pick a version. Whatever date you book decides which blueprint you get. If you pass either version, you hold the same CCNA certification, valid for three years.
How the blueprint is reorganized
The current v1.1 exam has six domains. Version 2.0 regroups the material into five, and the weights tell you where Cisco wants your study hours to go.
| CCNA v2.0 domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| Network Infrastructure and Connectivity | 25% |
| Switching and Network Access | 25% |
| IP Routing | 20% |
| Network Services and Security | 20% |
| AI, and Network Operations and Management | 10% |
For comparison, v1.1 weighted Network Fundamentals at 20%, Network Access at 20%, IP Connectivity at 25%, IP Services at 10%, Security Fundamentals at 15% and Automation and Programmability at 10%.
Half of the new exam is now switching, cabling, addressing and connectivity. That is good news for beginners, because those are the topics you can practice most easily in a lab.
What is genuinely new
Reading the official topic list line by line, a few changes stand out.
Troubleshooting language is back. Many topics now say troubleshoot, diagnose or validate where the old blueprint said describe or configure. In practice that means more questions that show you show command output and ask what is wrong. You need to read a routing table or a show interfaces trunk output and spot the problem, not just recall the command that builds it.
First hop redundancy covers HSRP and VRRP. You are expected to read their operational status, which means knowing what Active, Standby and Master look like in the output.
Security goes deeper at layer 2. DHCP snooping, dynamic ARP inspection, storm control and RA guard sit next to port security. AAA with TACACS+ and RADIUS, SFTP and SCP file management, and IPsec VPN concepts also appear.
OSPFv3 joins OSPFv2. Single-area OSPF is still the routing protocol that matters, now for IPv6 as well as IPv4.
Endpoints are part of the picture. Expect questions about client connectivity on Windows, macOS and Linux, plus hypervisors, virtual machines, containers and PoE edge ports for phones and access points.
AI arrives, in a small dose. The new 10% domain includes agentic AI in network operations and writing good prompts for generative AI (persona, instructions, data and output format). It sits alongside controller-based management, infrastructure as code, SNMP, syslog and Ansible. Nobody expects you to build a model. You are expected to understand how AI tools fit into day-to-day operations and how to use them safely.
What gets less attention
Some theory that used to take up study time has been trimmed or folded into other topics. Several training vendors also report that Terraform no longer appears as a named tool while Ansible stays. Cisco’s official exam topic list is the only source that counts here, so check it before you skip anything. The broad pattern is clear though: fewer “list the characteristics of” questions, more “here is the output, what is wrong” questions.
Should you take v1.1 now or wait for v2.0?
There is no single right answer, but there is a right answer for you. Here is the rule of thumb we give students in our evening cohorts.
Take v1.1 before February 2, 2027 if:
- You have already finished a full study cycle and are scoring well on practice exams.
- You need the certification on your resume for a job application or a promotion review in the next few months.
- Your employer is paying for the attempt this fiscal year.
Plan for v2.0 if:
- You are starting from zero this fall. Realistically, a beginner studying 8 to 10 hours a week needs three to five months. If you start in October, you would be cutting it close to the cutoff, and a failed attempt in January leaves you retesting on a different blueprint anyway.
- You want your study materials to match the exam you actually sit.
- You are aiming at network operations roles where troubleshooting skills will be tested in interviews too.
The worst plan is the middle one: studying v1.1 material slowly and hoping to finish in late January. If you are not confident you can pass by mid-January, switch to v2.0 preparation now. The core skills (subnetting, VLANs, trunks, OSPF, ACLs, NAT) are the same in both, so nothing you have learned is wasted.
How to study for v2.0 without new books
Most published study guides still target v1.1, and v2.0 books will trickle out over the next few months. You do not need to wait. Here is what we recommend.
- Start with the fundamentals that both versions share. Subnetting, the OSI and TCP/IP models, Ethernet switching and the IOS command line make up the foundation. Spend your first four weeks here.
- Practice in a command line every day. Troubleshooting questions reward people who have typed
show ip interface briefa few hundred times. Use Packet Tracer, a browser lab or real gear, but get your hands on a CLI. - Learn to read output, not just write config. For every feature you configure, look at the matching
showcommand and break the configuration on purpose. Shut a trunk, misconfigure a VLAN, remove a route, then find the fault from the output alone. - Add the new topics in the last third of your plan. HSRP and VRRP, layer 2 security features, AAA, OSPFv3 and the AI and operations domain are easier once routing and switching feel natural.
- Take timed practice exams. 120 minutes goes quickly when simulation questions are involved. Train your pacing before test day.
Booking the exam in the US
You book through Pearson VUE. You can test at a center (most US metro areas have several, often inside community colleges and training centers) or online from home with OnVUE. For online delivery you need a quiet private room, a clean desk, a webcam and a government ID. Weekday mornings tend to have the most open slots at test centers, and online slots open up 24 hours a day.
If your employer reimburses certification costs, ask about it before you book. Many US companies cover exam fees, and under Section 127 of the tax code employers can provide up to $5,250 a year in tax-free educational assistance. Veterans can also have certification exam fees reimbursed through the GI Bill.
The bottom line
CCNA v2.0 is not a different certification. It is the same associate-level proof that you can build and troubleshoot a small enterprise network, with more weight on troubleshooting, more layer 2 security and a short introduction to AI in operations.
If you are close to ready, book v1.1 before February 2, 2027. If you are just starting, study for v2.0 from day one. Either way, the skills that get you hired have not changed: you need to be comfortable in the CLI, quick with subnetting, and calm when the network is broken.
Our CCNA course is built on the v2.0 blueprint, with 24 lectures that start from zero and an exam-style lab for every lecture. Classes run in the evening across US time zones, so you can keep your day job while you prepare.